Your computer knows more colors than you do. In fact, representing them in 24-bit RGB, it knows an amazing 16,777,216 different hues — and this video shows each one exactly once.

Advertisement

RGB, of course, represents color as three different numbers, defining the quantities of red, green and blue in the mix. In the case of 24-bit color, each of those numbers can vary between 1 and 256, providing 16,777,216 different options. Created by researcher Mike Swarbrick Jones, this video shows each of the colors appearing in a 256 x 256 square over the course of 256 different frames. The result is a kind of mesmerizing swirl of color, reminiscent of those music visualizations we all loved in the late 90s. The process behind making the video was iterative, and you can read about — and watch — other attempts in this blog post.